Grip tape

ABSTRACT

A grip tape includes an elongated tape body defining a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a coating layer of a predetermined sign formed of a coating on the second surfaced of the tape body by dot array printing with a spacer formed between each two adjacent coating spots.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to sporting equipment handle technology,and more particularly, to a grip tape for wound round a grip of a clubor racquet that provides breathing and moisture absorbing effects.

2. Description of the Related Art

In normal use, the athletes will wrap their own grip tape on the grip ofthe club or racquet to increase the friction during grip as well as toimprove the feeding of gripping. For the sake of beauty, the grip tapehas a variety of colors or designs on its surface. At this stage, thesecolors or designs are applied to the surface of the grip tape bycoating. However, such coating will cover the entire surface of the griptape, especially when the entire surface is coated with designs, andthis surface is for the user's hand to hold, the surface of the griptape becomes not breathable or hygroscopic due to the presence of thecoating.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances inview. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a griptape, which provides breathing and moisture absorbing effects.

To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a grip tapecomprises a tape body and a coating layer. The tape body is elongated,defining a first surface and a second surface opposite to said firstsurface. The coating layer provides a predetermined sign formed of acoating on the second surfaced of the tape body by dot array printingwith a spacer formed between each two adjacent coating spots.

Other advantages and features of the present invention will be fullyunderstood by reference to the following specification in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which like reference signs denotelike components of structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing illustrating the outer appearance of agrip tape in accordance with a first embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a front view, in an enlarged scale, of the grip tape inaccordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of a grip tape in accordance with asecond embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a grip tape in accordance with a firstembodiment of the present invention is shown. The grip tape comprises atape body (10) and a felt layer (15).

The tape body (10) is elongated and defines first surface (11) and asecond surface (12) opposite to the first surface (11). The tape body(10) is composed of a long strip of base fabric (13) impregnated withpolyurethane (14), so that polyurethane (14) is coated on the basefabric (13).

The felt layer (15) is located on the first surface (11) of the tapebody (10). The grip tape can be used by the user by attaching the feltlayer (15) to the grip of a club or racket.

The second surface (12) of the tape body (10) is provided with a designby dot array printing. The dot array-printed coating may form a coatinglayer (16) on the second surface (12) of the tape body (10). Asillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, since the coating layer (16) is arrangedby dot array printing, each dot printed by the coating forms an areawith paint, so unlike the conventional immersion or coating method. Inthe present invention, the second surface (12) of the tape body (10) isnot completely covered by the coating in the area where the coating isapplied, so that a spacer (17) with little or no coating is formedbetween each two adjacent coating spots. These spacers (17) can providespace for the tape body (10) to breathe and absorb moisture.

When printing dot arrays, the density of printing is preferably 150,000to 400,000 coating dots per square inch. The size of each coating spotis preferably between 0.016 and 0.008 mm, so that the grip tape canmaintain good water absorption and the color of the coating layer is nottoo light.

The tape body (10) can be completed after formation of the coating layer(16) on the second surface (12) and implementation of a setting process.The setting process in this case is to set a water-absorbing resin onthe coating layer (16). The water-absorbing resin can be set by coatingor spraying or dot array printing. The density of the water-absorbingresin is preferably 150,000 to 400,000 coating or printing points persquare inch.

In the grip tape of the present invention, the part that is in contactwith the hand when the user grips the grip tape is the second surface(12) of the tape body (10). Since the coating is formed on the secondsurface (12) by dot array printing and distributed over the entire areaof the second surface (12) of the tape body (10), the spacers (17)provide a breathable and moisture absorbing effect when the user's handsweats due to exercise, so that moisture can be attracted to the tapebody (10) through the spacers (17) to keep the user's hand dry and toavoid a reduction in friction between the user's hand and the grip tapedue to hand sweating.

Referring to FIG. 4, a grip tape in accordance with a second embodimentof the present invention is shown. This second embodiment issubstantially similar to the above-described first embodiment with theexception that the first surface (11) of the tape body (10) eliminatesthe aforesaid felt layer (15). In application, the polyurethane (14) isdirectly attached onto the grip of a club or racket.

What is claimed is:
 1. A grip tape, comprising: a tape body (10) in anelongated shape, said tape body (10) defining a first surface (11) and asecond surface (12) opposite to said first surface (11); and a coatinglayer (16) of a predetermined sign formed of a coating on said secondsurfaced (12) of said tape body (10) by dot array printing with a spacer(17) formed between each two adjacent coating spots.
 2. The grip tape asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said tape body (10) is composed of a longstrip of base fabric (13) impregnated with polyurethane (14).
 3. Thegrip tape as claimed in claim 2, wherein each dot printed by saidcoating forms an area with paint.
 4. The grip tape as claimed in claim1, wherein each dot printed by said coating forms an area with paint. 5.The grip tape as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a felt layer(15) located on said first surface (11) of said tape body (10).
 6. Thegrip tape as claimed in claim 5, wherein each dot printed by saidcoating forms an area with paint.
 7. The grip tape as claimed in claim1, wherein the density of said coating layer (16) is 150,000 to 400,000coating dots per square inch.
 8. The grip tape as claimed in claim 6,wherein the density of said coating layer (16) is 150,000 to 400,000coating dots per square inch.
 9. The grip tape as claimed in claim 1,wherein the size of each said coating spot is preferably between 0.016and 0.008 mm.